Ramblings, ideas, problems, and solutions

Category: Operating systems

  • The Asus Eee 1101H reviewed

    I recently decided to get a new laptop. My old laptop was looking like it was going to kick the bucket soon, and I wanted to exchange it sooner, rather than later. I was originally planning to get a high-end Dell, but looking closer at the contents of my wallet, I decided to forego the…

  • Three free tools to restore and recover files

    I’ve been there, and I’m sure you have too. You’ve spent hours on a document, you go to bed, and the next morning, it’s gone! Oh crud! Now what? Here are three free Windows utilities that have worked charms for me:   The first thing I’d try is an utility called Free File Recovery by…

  • Windows 7: Problem Step Recorder

    As a support technician, I have often needed to see how a problem occurs, or show someone how to do something, but the person I need info from, or need to teach, is not available so that it can be done face to face, or over the phone.   A lot of my users are…

  • Windows 7: Run as administrator

    Like in Windows Vista, users don’t usually run programs as administrators, even if they have administrative rights on their computer. While there has been a lot of talk about whether or not User Account Control (UAC) is a good idea (which I think it is, although the implementation in Windows Vista was less than intuitive),…

  • Windows 7: Restoring the QuickLaunch bar

    The new taskbar in Windows 7 does its job admirably. Even so, many users complain that they can’t find the QuickLaunch bar. This option is not available by default in Windows 7, but if you want it, it is simple enough to recreate:   Right-click the taskbar, and choose Toobars -> New Toolbar In the…

  • Windows 7: Empty the desktop

    Most users use their desktops as their primary workspace, saving everything they work on to the desktop. While practical, this has a nasty tendency to become rather cluttered.   In Windows 7, you can opt not to display desktop icons on the desktop itself. To do so, simply right-click your desktop, click “View”, and uncheck…

  • Windows 7: Shrink the taskbar

    The Windows 7 taskbar looks good, but some users complain that it takes up too much desktop real estate. Luckily, there is a simple solution for this problem:   Simply right-click the taskbar, and select Properties. In properties, check the box for “Use small icons”, like so:

  • Windows 7: Shake the windows away

    Many of the innovations in Windows 7 are more about estetics and eye-candy than anything else. Some of them are downright silly; such as this one:   You’re working on your computer, and you have a lot of windows open. You then need to focus on a specific window, and minimize all the others. That’s…

  • Windows 7: Using libraries (part 2)

    In addition to using libraries to see files from several places on your computer, you can also use it to display files sorted by meta-data, such as the date the files was edited last, or tags.   Libraries have an arrange-by option, which, by default, is set to Folder. By clicking it, you get the…

  • Windows 7: Using libraries

    Windows 7 takes a new approach to file management, which they have called libraries. Simply put, you library will show files from any and all folders you choose. There are libraries for documents, videos, pictures and music.   You can create folders in the libraries, the same way that you would create a folder elsewhere…

  • Windows 7: Windows side-by-side

    When working with two windows at the same time, you can have them aligned so that they take up half the screen each. Simply click and drag the title line of the window to the left or right hand side of the screen, and you’ll see the window autmatically adjust to fit half the screen’s…